Economic issues prompt closure of San Onofre

Laurie Headrick, left, of San Clemente, happily embraces Chrystal Coleman of Vista on Friday morning outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently.MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The troubled San Onofre nuclear plant, sidelined for 16 months because of Design flaws in its steam generators, will be permanently shuttered – a decision that leaves in its wake major questions about the future of electrical power in California and the decommissioning of the plant, which could take decades.

In an email announcement early Friday morning, plant operator Southern California Edison cited uncertainty surrounding the proposed restart of one of its reactors, as well as mounting costs, in its decision to retire the plant's two reactor units.

The company had proposed restarting its Unit 2 reactor at 70 percent power to eliminate vibrations in its steam generators, two for each reactor, that created unexpected wear among thousands of metal tubes that carry radioactive water inside the generators.

"To clear out the uncertainty and move forward in a decisive way, as well as reduce the continuing economic drag from having the plant, we decided to no longer seek restart, and close the plant," Ted Craver, chairman and CEO of Edison International, told reporters in a conference call Friday.

Further work-force reductions, dropping staff from about 1,500 to 400, also will result from the permanent closure, Southern California Edison President Ron Litzinger said.

Environmental activists who opposed the restart plan celebrated what they considered a victory – one that many believed they helped bring about.

Some gathered near the plant Friday after learning the news.

"It's a huge emotion," said Gary Headrick, founder of the group, San Clemente Green. "I'm hoping Edison just saw there was an insurmountable amount of energy going against the restart."

Leading much of the effort against the restart plan was Friends of the Earth, which issued several technical reports by consultants to bolster its contention that the plan was unsafe.

But perhaps most critically, the group petitioned for a formal public hearing on the restart proposal, contending that the restart plan amounted to an amendment of Edison's operating license for San Onofre.

A Nuclear Regulatory Commission panel, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, agreed with the activists. And in its statement early Friday, Edison cited the board's ruling – and the possible delay of any restart plan that could result – as a major factor in its decision to close down the plant.

"This is a huge victory for Friends of the Earth and for the activists who have been fighting this," Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth, said in his own conference call with reporters.

The activists also acknowledged the role of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who released documents previously unseen by the public from both Edison and the manufacturer of the plant's steam generators, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Japan.

The documents, Boxer and Markey contended, showed that Edison potentially knew about design flaws in the generators in advance. The lawmakers accused Edison of making misrepresentations to regulators to avoid closer scrutiny of the steam-generator design and construction process.

Edison has denied their assertions.

The decision to close the plant makes permanent a void in the Southern California power grid that Edison and state regulators must work to make up.

In a statement released Friday, Michael R. Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission, said the agency would work with other government entities to ensure adequate power during the coming summer, when power demand can spike.

Laurie Headrick, left, of San Clemente, happily embraces Chrystal Coleman of Vista on Friday morning outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Steve Netherby, left, and Lyn Harris Hicks, both of San Clemente, share a laugh outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday, the day it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lyn Harris Hicks, 85, of San Clemente, sits on a tailgate outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Friday after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Bill Ballinger, left, embraces Gary Headrick, both of San Clemente, outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Clemente Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be permanently closing. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
With the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station as a backdrop, Huy Pham of San Juan Capistrano walks south along the beach at San Onofre State Beach early Friday morning. It was announced Friday that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
An original giant steam generator sits in a hole cut in the wall of the reactor at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station just south of San Clemente. The two generators in each reactor were replaced with new ones in 2009 through early 2011. MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
San Clemente Green founders Laurie Headrick, left, and Gary Headrick, right, hug fellow San Clemente resident Steve Netherby, center, outside San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Friday morning just prior to a news conference after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
With the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station as a backdrop, Huy Pham of San Juan Capistrano walks south along the beach at San Onofre State Beach early Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Area activists gather for a news conference outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A television news station broadcasts from outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Lyn Harris Hicks of San Clemente, center, sits on a tailgate outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning as she chats with Myla Reson, left, of Los Angeles and Steve Netherby of San Clemente after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Laurie Headrick, left, of San Clemente, happily embraces Chrystal Coleman of Vista on Friday morning outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dan Ferrell, of San Juan Capistrano, shows off his shirt outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Donna Gilmore of San Clemente speaks during a news conference outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Arnie Gundersen of Fairewinds Energy Education in Burlington, Vermont, speaks speaks during a news conference outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dan Ferrell, left, of San Juan Capistrano embraces Gary Headrick of San Clemente outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be permanently closing. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Various activists speak to the media outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Clemente on Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Area activists gather for a news conference outside the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station Friday morning after it was announced that the nuclear plant will be closing permanently. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.